Activist ‘fesses up to handing out racially offensive Obama bills

Yesterday we told you about the fake $3 Obama bills that caused a stir at the Evergreen State Fair earlier this week.

The bills, depicting the Democratic presidential nominee wearing an Arab headdress, were being handed out by the Snohomish County Republican Party booth at the fair – unbeknownst to party leaders.

When complaints poured in, party leaders shut things down fast. But yesterday, they said they weren’t sure who stocked the booth with the bills.

This morning, Republican activist Bob Clark of Monroe forwarded me an apology he sent to the county chairwoman, Geri Modrell. The P-I called to confirm that Clark was the one behind the bills. He said he was.

“I’m just really sorry that this happened – that I may have offended anyone,” Clark said.

In the e-mail to Modrell, he wrote:

Several weeks ago, I ran across a website call slick.com and saw the $3 Obama bills and ordered some. As you know, I was in charge of stocking the fair booth with campaign information about all the candidates, bumper stickers, buttons, and etc. When I was putting it all together in boxes, I threw in the bills. …

I now recognize how offensive they are and I want to apologize to anyone who justifiably takes offense at them…. Campaigns sometimes get really heated and intense and that’s no excuse but still I hope you will see it in your heart to forgive me.

Mystery solved.

Earlier this week, the Herald in Everett named Clark as a volunteer who may have supplied the bills. When the Herald called the activist, Clark said he didn’t know what the reporter was talking about.

The satirical bills have been available online for years, starting with the Clinton administration. But this may be a rare instance where they’ve caused this much commotion.